ISLI project to help Scottish inventors unveils successful first year
An ISLI project designed to help Scottish inventors and companies develop high-tech products and services for the global market has announced the successful completion of 16 new projects in its first year of operation.
- (1888PressRelease) February 23, 2012 - Launched in January 2011, the DoRIES project has helped progress a raft of sophisticated products ranging from advanced infant safety seats to cutting-edge water condition monitoring systems. Under the initiative ISLI's in-house team of technology experts and research engineers has worked with companies from multiple sectors including healthcare, communications and agriculture to develop solutions for a wealth of real-world applications.
"From the moment of its conception the DoRIES initiative has been focused on addressing the situation whereby too many innovative ideas for new products fizzle out because small companies can't support the expertise needed to pursue their development. With multiple projects now having been taken from concept to the advanced design stages, it's reasonable to conclude that we've taken a major step towards achieving that aim," said ISLI Director Dr Mark Begbie.
"While it may be fashionable to talk down Scotland's capacity to invest, invent and innovate, our experience suggests the opposite. We've worked on projects over the last year have the clear potential to generate real interest on the global markets."
Under the terms of the DoRIES scheme iSLI's project staff work with companies wishing to use enabling technologies - such as wireless interconnection, embedded computing, advanced sensing, signal processing and energy efficiency - to create the new technological concepts they need to take their product to the next level. The initiative offers SMEs a package of support delivering rapid initial scoping input followed support up to a maximum value of £5,000 to help undertake the required collaborative feasibility studies and initial proof-of-concept work.
Projects undertaken in the project's first year have covered a multitude of industries and purposes. In that time DoRIES staff have helped inventive companies develop LED-based lighting systems for tiled wet areas, re-engineer a breed of sophisticated poultry feeder and assisted in the improvement of a technique designed to speed up oil and gas exploration.
Other processes and products have included equipment monitoring systems for gymnasiums, personal navigation aids, home monitoring and management devices and a home-based medical monitoring product based on a mobile phone.
Backed by a six-figure investment from the Scottish Government SEEKIT programme and the European Regional Development Fund, DoRIES has been designed to support Scottish SMEs seeking to develop marketable products, services or processes using electronics based enabling technologies. The project is jointly funded by ERDF, SEEKIT and iSLI together with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot Watt and Strathclyde universities.
Dr Begbie added: "Every week we hear how the UK is held back by a lack of ability to exploit market potential in the new technologies we are so good at inventing. DoRIES is all about helping to get that technology into market leading products, by providing the essential technology development skills businesses need to get their projects up and running. We are providing Scotland's SMEs with a simplified and less problematic route to market. Within the coming few months, we fully expect to see the first resulting products on the market."
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